This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
John Deere Classic
Silvis, Illinois
TPC Deere Run - Par 71 - 7,289 yards
Field - 156 entrants
Purse - $7.4M
The Preview
Rickie Fowler's dramatic win in Detroit was a thrilling combatant against the lull that can otherwise accompany this brief midwestern swing from the Rocket Mortgage to the John Deere Classic as we eventually turn our attention across the pond later this month, but Silvis, Illinois' TPC Deere Run is once again geared up to host the JDC for the 23rd time since 2000. We can expect a birdie barrage at this simple par-71 layout, where the course's primary defense is the four-inch bluegrass rough that lines its wide fairways. Wedge play from 75-150 yards is going to be key in racking up scoring opportunities on these bentgrass greens, while it's likely to see eventual contenders flirt with the 20-under-par mark come Sunday afternoon. If scattered thunderstorms locate the grounds Wednesday, soft conditions should allow for especially low scores Thursday.
Recent Champions
2022 - J.T. Poston
2021 - Lucas Glover
2020 - None
2019 - Dylan Frittelli
2018 - Michael Kim
2017 - Bryson DeChambeau
2016 - Ryan Moore
2015 - Jordan Spieth
2014 - Brian Harman
2013 - Jordan Spieth
Key Stats to Victory
Birdie or Better percentage
SG: Approach
Proximity: 75-150 yards
SG: Putting (bentgrass)
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Denny McCarthy - $43
Positioned below Cameron Young and Russell Henley, a $43 McCarthy is slightly discounted on Yahoo compared to other DFS sites, providing value on arguably the best putter in the world at what could turn into a putting contest. He's gained an average of 5.7 strokes putting per event throughout his last six starts, and McCarthy is No. 1 among this week's field in P4: 400-450 Efficiency over his last 24 measured rounds. Rebounding from back-to-back missed cuts here at the JDC in 2019 and 2021, McCarthy tied for sixth at TPC Deere Run last year when he gained a season-high 5.1 strokes on approach.
Emiliano Grillo - $41
The only player in attendance to rank top-10 in both SG: Approach and SG: Putting over their last 24 rounds, Grillo is looking to pick up what would be his second win in less than two months at a venue where he tied for second in 2022, pacing last year's JDC field in GIR (63) and total birdies (23). He's now coming off a top-15 performance at the Travelers Championship where he gained 5.4 strokes with his irons, and Grillo sits second in Birdies or Better within that 24-round sample.
Glue Guys
Taylor Moore - $34
Moore did his best McCarthy impression on the greens in Detroit last week, leading the Rocket Mortgage Classic in SG: Putting en route to a T4 finish after missing three consecutive cuts from the Charles Schwab Challenge through the Travelers Championship. Moore is second to only McCarthy in SG: Putting over their last 24 rounds, and the former ranks top-15 in P4: 400-450 Efficiency and BoB Gained during this span as well. Moore tied for 24th in his TPC Deere Run debut last year despite struggling from 150-175 yards.
Adam Schenk - $33
Identical 16-under performances earned Schenk a pair of top-6 results at the JDC in 2019 and 2021, gaining a collective 12.5 strokes from tee to green across those two appearances here in the Quad Cities. He's now playing much better golf ahead of the event, racking up three top-7s in five starts dating back to the Charles Schwab Challenge. Throughout his last 24 rounds, Schenk is top-5 in SG: APP, BoB Gained and Prox: 150-175.
Ryan Palmer - $30
Gaining no less than seven strokes from tee to green in three of his last four outings, Palmer has quietly carded 10 scores of 68 or better throughout his past 14 rounds, despite dealing with an ice cold putter. Examining a 24-round overview, he's fourth in Opportunities Gained, seventh in SG: Off-the-Tee and 13th in SG: Approach.
Bargain Bin
Lucas Glover - $27
Glover's flat stick was an even greater problem than Palmer's before the former posted a season-best 5.4 strokes gained on the greens last week at Detroit Golf Club, where Glover also gained another 6.1 strokes with his irons on the way to a fourth-place effort. Glover's most recent PGA Tour win came at the 2021 John Deere Classic when he led the tournament in par-4 scoring and averaged six birdies per round. He's been especially sharp from 100-125 yards as of late, ascending to No. 2 in Opportunities Gained over his past 24 rounds.
Doug Ghim - $25
Ghim has rattled off five straight finishes of T33 or better since the Wells Fargo Championship, notably gaining 28.3 strokes from tee to green across three starts from the AT&T Byron Nelson through the Travelers Championship. Over his last 24 rounds, he's risen to fourth in par-5 scoring, eighth in Prox: 125-150 and 13th in Birdies or Better. Additionally, Ghim ranked second in SG: APP at the 2021 JDC when he placed T18 overall.
Ludvig Aberg - $20
Yahoo is certainly tardy to the Aberg party, maintaining a minimum $20 salary on the 2023 Haskins Award winner despite beginning his professional career with three consecutive top-40s from the RBC Canadian Open through the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He paced the field in SG: OTT last week in Detroit, which guided him to 22 total birdies and an eagle. Given the discrepancy between Aberg's deflated Yahoo price and the inflating market rate on Aberg, expect him to be quite chalky in this spot.
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